Best Software SalesLogix

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1 Rochelle Shaw, Sandy Sampson Product Report 5 September 2002 Best Software SalesLogix Summary CRM solution SalesLogix contains sales, marketing, ecommerce and support modules for small and midsize businesses. The solution s mobile support includes wireless access to various devices. Note SalesLogix 6.0 is expected in late October While primarily an architectural release, it also includes enhancements to both the sales client and the Web client. Table of Contents Overview Analysis Pricing Competitors Strengths Limitations Insight List Of Tables Table 1: Overview: Best Software SalesLogix Table 3: Price List: Best Software SalesLogix Gartner Entire contents 2002 Gartner, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this publication in any form without prior written permission is forbidden. The information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. Gartner disclaims all warranties as to the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of such information. Gartner shall have no liability for errors, omissions or inadequacies in the information contained herein or for interpretations thereof. The reader assumes sole responsibility for the selection of these materials to achieve its intended results. The opinions expressed herein are subject to change without notice.

2 Corporate Headquarters Best Software, Inc. Interact Commerce Corp. (CRM Division) 8800 N. Gainey Center Drive, Suite 200 Scottsdale, AZ 85258, U.S.A. Tel: Fax: Internet: Overview U.K.-based parent company The Sage Group plc acquired Interact Commerce Corp. in May 2001, obtaining Interact s best-selling contact management software ACT! and its mid-market customer relationship management (CRM) software SalesLogix. With the latest organizational change in July 2002, Interact becomes the CRM division of Sage s Best Software, which has more than 1.6 million users in the U.S. a ready market for Interact, which claims more than 4,000 SalesLogix customers. Table 1: Overview: Best Software SalesLogix Current Version 5.2 Product Type Customer Relationship Management (CRM) suite Price (US$) Base Suite: 1,995 for the server; 595 per user. Advanced Web and Wireless: 9,995 for the server; 995 per user. Date Released September 2001 Target Applications Small and midsize enterprises (SMEs) in consulting, financial services, high tech, manufacturing, marketing, real estate and other industries. Key Components SalesLogix Sales Key Functions SalesLogix Sales. SalesLogix Marketing. SalesLogix Support. SalesLogix ecommerce. Automates the sales cycle. Captures and routes customer leads. Enables collaborative and Internet selling. Forecasts and reports on sales. Integrates with back-office systems to access customer data. Manages multichannel selling. Manages partner and customer relationships. Oversees sales pipeline. 5 September

3 Account and Contact Information Automated Sales Processes Calendar and Activity Management Competitor Tracking Integration With SalesLogix Modules and Outlook Forecasting and Reporting Opportunity Tracking SalesLogix Marketing Key Functions Accesses, records and tracks information on all interactions with customers. Manages account ownership for individual users and teams. Shares customer data with other SalesLogix modules, enabling a complete view of the customer relationship. Synchronizes contact information between SalesLogix and Outlook. Automates routine sales activities, including gathering business intelligence, tracking competitors, generating leads and routine reporting. Schedules and tracks activities, events, phone calls, meetings, to-do lists and requests for literature for multiple users. Automatically archives completed activities. Synchronizes schedules and meeting requests between SalesLogix and Outlook. Views both Outlook and SalesLogix calendars from within SalesLogix. Enables users to record competitors product information, strengths and weaknesses for easy reference. Lets users reference notes and strategies for competitive situations. Tracks sales staff, strategies and rationale for wins and losses. Back-office integration enables access to customer accounting data and ERP systems for product data, inventory, pricing, orders and historical records. Integrates with Microsoft Outlook and SalesLogix marketing, support and e- commerce functions. Integrates with SalesLogix Marketing module to plan, manage, review and track marketing campaigns and related metrics. Integrates with SalesLogix Support to view customer service and support history, including contracts and open and closed issues. Synchronizes , calendar and contact data between Outlook and SalesLogix. Analyzes sales trends, lead sources and effectiveness of sales strategies and campaigns. Enables custom filters and reporting via SalesLogix Query Builder. Forecasts sales, revenue and customer demand. Manages report distribution. Provides visibility into sales pipeline and assesses probability of close. Uses Seagate Crystal Reports for business intelligence and reporting via the Internet. Analyzes up-sell/cross-sell opportunities. Tracks leads and open opportunities. Analyzes potential targets and determines the most profitable prospects. Assesses campaign effectiveness. Automates campaign activities. Centralizes campaign management. Develops custom campaigns for specific target groups. Expedites sales and manages customer relationships to increase customer retention. 5 September

4 Budget and Revenue Tracking Campaign Management, Reporting and Response Tracking Data Mining Task Management Web Access Workflow Automation SalesLogix Support Key Functions Account and Contact Information Contract Management Accesses real-time revenue figures. Assess campaign impact on revenue. Compares and tracks forecasted vs. actual budget figures. Enables users to view and manage campaign budgets. Predicts potential revenue for targeted campaigns. Archives expired campaign data. Automates lead generation for sales. Enables centralized management and tracking of marketing campaigns. Analyzes return on leads. Uses Crystal Reports to enable graphical analysis of campaign data. Reports enable users to evaluate the effectiveness of marketing campaigns in terms of return on investment (ROI). Analyzes a range of campaign metrics, including response ratio and related revenue. Tracks campaign responses in realtime. Works with MarketMiner s MarketMiner analysis solutions to identify best potential targets for marketing campaigns. Uses MarketMiner wizards to develop custom analysis. Exchanges data formats between MarketMiner and SalesLogix. Coordinates and tracks tasks related to running campaigns. Enables users to view, schedule and manage tasks in terms of ownership, dates and budget. Allows users to capture and edit campaign data in realtime via the Internet. Automates tasks associated with executing marketing and sales campaigns. Collects customer intelligence. Enhances customer relationships with more efficient interactions. Enhances support effectiveness and reduces per-transaction costs with custom solutions and customer self-service. Integrates with other SalesLogix CRM components. Provides a common architecture, database and administrator. Supports global resources. Supports rapid implementation. Accesses detailed information on customers. Shares customer data with other SalesLogix modules, enabling a complete view of the customer relationship. Enables users to access and maintain information on support and maintenance contracts. Tracks time spent with customers resolving support issues. 5 September

5 Defect Tracking and Problem Resolution Integrated Service Alerts, Notification and Escalation Management Reporting Return Material Authorizations Search Capability Support Ticket Management Web Knowledgebase and Self-Service SalesLogix ecommerce Key Functions Campaigns Automatically enters problem-solution information, associating problems with resolutions and vice versa. Maintains information on recurring issues and their solutions to facilitate quick and efficient resolution. Tracks customer problems and shares information with support and product management groups. Allows users to access associated trouble tickets, Return Material Authorizations (RMAs) and product information, thereby facilitating problem resolution. Automatically generates and updates support tickets from . Automatically notifies customer of service status and expected turnaround time. Notifies account managers of new customers, contact information, and contract data. Scans for overdue support tickets and automatically escalates outstanding tickets with alerts. Users can customize notification and escalation rules. Generates custom reports and out-of-the-box reports using Crystal Reports. Reports address defect analysis, escalation history, call response times and other support-center activities. Helps users analyze support-center effectiveness. Processes product returns. Enables users to record information such as defects, serial numbers, shipping instructions and comments. Maintains records of returns and associated contract status. Conducts intelligent searches of databases for problem resolutions. Accesses data from trouble tickets and defect reports and correlates with standard problem resolutions. Assigns and manages trouble tickets related to support issues. Archives closed support tickets. Customers can access support solutions over the Web. Customers and customer service representatives can access the same knowledgebase. Captures customer intelligence to enhance future interactions. Develops storefronts with automated business rules and personalized content. Dynamically configures quotes. Integrates Microsoft Commerce Server 2000 and the Endeavor Configuration Engine. Integrates with back-office applications. Integrates with other SalesLogix CRM components. Personalizes the online experience. Targets Business-to-Business (B2B) and Business-to-Consumer (B2C) environments. Launches campaigns and assesses campaign effectiveness. Personalizes content to match user profiles. Tracks response rates to targeted market campaigns. 5 September

6 Collaborative Selling Intelligent Storefronts Lead Capture Online Support Orders and Transactions Product Catalogs and Specifications Quote and Order Processing User Profiles Web-Site Analysis Functional Add-Ons Best Enterprise Suite Dynamically configures quotes for custom products. Integrates with SalesLogix Sales and rolls prospective sales into forecasts. Links quotes to prospect accounts to use later in the sales process. Automates business rules, condition sets and product configurations, and adds personalization to enable intelligent buying and selling. Enables rapid testing and updates to Web sites. Intelligent storefronts enable an interactive buying experience for customers and prospects. Personalizes content, promotions and pricing to match user profiles. Collects contact data. Enables prospects to request information. Integrates data with other SalesLogix CRM suite modules. Solicits key information from Web-site visitors to analyze and segment prospects. Enables customer self-service, including trouble-ticket generation. Lets customers and customer service representatives access the same knowledge base. Integrates with SalesLogix Support to manage customer support problems to resolution. Enables secure transaction processing and order history retrieval. Manages online order and transaction processing. Publishes and applies current tax rates and shipping requirements. Tracks transactions from product selection through payment and delivery. Develops custom product bundles and pricing for target markets. Enables real-time product and pricing updates. Allows users to define product category relationships to recommend complementary products to buyers. Manages product data for display on Web site. Permits buyers to view detailed product descriptions and pricing, and to clear quotes or modify orders before checkout. Confirms orders and summarizes transaction history. Manages billing, shipping and payment information. Manages secure quotes and order processing. Collects and analyzes user information gathered on Web site to personalize content and promotions. Creates profiles with user attributes. Manages company and user profiles, including passwords and contact information. Segments prospects and personalizes end-users online experience according to profile analysis. Analyzes Web-site activity, usage trends, visitor profiles, customer spending and advertising response rates. SalesLogix integrates with Best Software s Best Enterprise browser-based e-crm applications, accessing Best s accounting, budgeting, distribution, human resources, payroll, financial reporting and electronic commerce applications, analytical tools, e-business management and front-office automation capabilities. 5 September

7 Best MAS 90/MAS SalesLogix integrates with Best Software s MAS 90 and MAS 200 product lines. 200 Front Office Best MAS 90 and Best MAS 200 provide accounting, distribution, manufacturing and e-business management software solutions for midsize companies and large enterprises, respectively. SalesLogix Alerts appropriate people to critical events, such as inactive open opportunities. KnowledgeSync Distributes reports and literature according to schedule or event triggers. Manages and analyzes customer surveys and sends alerts according to results. Manages system maintenance tasks according to schedule or pre-defined conditions. Monitors SalesLogix for a range of events, including outstanding support tickets, inactive sales opportunities, and maintenance and subscription renewals. Routes new leads and marketing opportunities to relevant personnel. Third-Party Add-Ons SalesLogix integrates with numerous third-party applications. Functions include accounting and ERP integration; alert messaging; application integration; business intelligence; content management; data analysis, cleansing, consolidation, import and storage; event management; project management; and sales-force automation, among others. Operating Requirements Client Operating Systems Database Server Databases Web Browser Windows 98SE, Windows NT Server, Windows 2000 Professional, Windows XP Professional Windows NT/2000/Advanced Server, IIS, Solaris, Linux InterBase, MS SQL Server, Oracle Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Notes, Novell GroupWise, POP3/SMTP (POP3 Internet mail), IMAP/SMTP (IMAP4 Internet mail) Internet Explorer Analysis SalesLogix CRM Suite is designed to automate the selling cycle, from marketing campaign and lead capture to product delivery and customer support. Extensive partnerships and integration with third-party products greatly enhance SalesLogix functional reach. These product functions include accounting and ERP integration, alert messaging, application integration, business intelligence, content management, data analysis, cleansing, consolidation, import and storage, event management, project management and sales force automation, among others. Additionally, the company has several OEM deals with back-office providers, including Made2 Manage, Mapics, Expandable Solutions, Freedman and Cedar Group. In May 2002, Endeavor Software acquired the SalesLogix Configuration Engine, which serves the ecommerce portion of the SalesLogix CRM Suite. As a strategic partner to Best Software s CRM Division, Endeavor will devote the expertise and resources to enhance the Configuration Engine, and support SalesLogix customers. At the end of 2001, the company began a new program called SalesLogix QuickStart. Targeting small businesses with five to 10 users, SalesLogix QuickStart bundles software, support, services and training for a fixed price and guarantees a 30-day implementation. QuickStart includes a needs assessment and customer profile and includes a 90-day remote administration program and one year of support. The vendor reports selling more than 75 QuickStart licenses to financial services, technology, insurance, engineering, medical, recruiting, manufacturing and consulting. The rapid implementation and low-risk 5 September

8 offering introduces the product to new users and gives Best Software an opportunity to establish a maintenance contract and offer a migration path down the road. The vendor reports that more than 50 percent of SalesLogix QuickStart customers signed up for additional seats after the 30-day trial period. In addition to the modules in the SalesLogix suite, the company offers an Advanced Web and Wireless Suite. This suite gives users Web and wireless access to all of their SalesLogix data. SalesLogix support is offered directly, but is primarily sold and supported via a wide range of third parties that also offer integrated industry-specific applications. Pricing Table 3: Price List: Best Software SalesLogix Product Server Price (US$) Per-User Price (US$) SalesLogix Sales and Marketing 1, Advanced Web and Wireless Suite 9, Support for Either of Above 795 SalesLogix Configuration Engine (includes Microsoft Commerce Server) 13,998 Selector Unit (includes Microsoft Commerce Server with Configuration Engine and Guided Selling) Advanced Unit (includes Microsoft Commerce Server with Configuration Engine, Constraint and Pricing Configuration, and Guided Selling) GSA Pricing No. Competitors 21,997 27,998 SalesLogix faces numerous competitors in a crowded CRM market. Among them are FrontRange Solutions GoldMine FrontOffice, Multiactive Software s Maximizer Enterprise 7 and Salesforce.com s salesforce.com Professional Edition. Still other SMB market competitors include Siebel Systems Siebel 7 MidMarket Edition and Epicor Software s Clientele CRM. Perhaps most formidably, Microsoft is making an appearance with its new CRM product Microsoft MSCRM, scheduled for 4Q02 release. FrontRange FrontRange Solutions GoldMine FrontOffice is an integrated customer management suite composed of FrontRange s customer service and support solution, HEAT, and GoldMine Sales and Marketing. Features include wireless and Web access, sales force automation and solutions for developing targeted marketing campaigns and managing customer relationships across the organization. FrontOffice integrates with Microsoft Outlook and Exchange and Lotus Notes, as well as QuickBooks and other accounting applications. It incorporates an intelligence tool to support analysis and sales activities. Multiactive Multiactive Software s Maximizer Enterprise 7 is an integrated CRM suite targeting SMBs and corporate divisions of large companies. Features include sales and contact management, lead generation, marketing, customer service, employee portal and Outlook integration. Maximizer Enterprise 7 runs on Windows. 5 September

9 Salesforce.com Salesforce.com s salesforce.com Professional Edition provides turnkey CRM solutions for SMBs. Professional Edition s CRM functions include sales force automation, customer service and support, marketing automation, and reporting and analysis capabilities. The product s data integration capabilities are limited to flat-file import and export, Web integration links (passing text strings and parameters from salesforce.com) and the capability to extract salesforce.com data for loading into data warehouses. Accessed via a Web browser, the online solution can be customized. The company provides an upgrade path to its Enterprise Edition, which supports tighter integration with data warehouses and ERP systems. Strengths Sales Force Automation SalesLogix offers core competency in sales force automation. Rapid Implementation SalesLogix QuickStart gives users a fast entry to CRM. The program bundles software, support, services and training for a fixed price and guarantees a 30-day implementation, reducing risk. Partnerships Extensive relationships with third parties greatly strengthen the SalesLogix offering, delivering a wide range of integrated applications and extended functionality. Mobile Support SalesLogix supports disconnected use for hundreds of mobile users. The product offers mobile synchronization with handheld Palm devices, and also offers wireless access to those and to Research in Motion (RIM) devices. Limitations Uneven Functionality Despite offering quite a wide range of features, SalesLogix SFA capabilities are more evolved than its marketing and customer service offering. Selling the e-commerce piece to Endeavor may give Best Software the opportunity to focus on further enriching the SalesLogix Marketing and Support components. Competition A noisy CRM market poses challenges to all vendors vying for recognition and market share. Like the other mid-market players, Best Software will face increasing pressure when Microsoft enters the fray. Branding Issues Although the SalesLogix name is well recognized, Best Software may experience some branding issues as it attempts to bring the product into the fold as part of its CRM division. Additionally, naming conventions are not standard worldwide, so some confusion may persist across international borders where SalesLogix is associated with parent company Sage plc. Insight With SalesLogix, Best Software offers a well-rounded integrated CRM suite that is suitable for small and midsize businesses requiring a solid sales-force automation solution. Integration with other Best Software offerings, as well as with a wide range of third-party applications, adds to SalesLogix overall appeal. 5 September